Building a Myth on Klout

What constitutes social influence and how do you get it? How important is it anyway? The dictionary defines influence as:

noun

• 1 [mass noun] the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself: the influence of television violence I was still under the influence of my parents [count noun]: their friends are having a bad influence on them
• the power to shape policy or ensure favourable treatment from someone, especially through status, contacts, or wealth: the institute has considerable influence with teachers Oxford English Dictionary

Welcome to the mythical world of influence according to Klout.

Actually, I owe Klout a debt of gratitude for leading me to one of my dearest friends Pamela Morse whom I met through the social networking site LinkedIn. Pamela was instrumental in my discovery of the K+ game played on Klout, which is where you tag friends with a topic of influence.

A select group of fellow #kloutjuicers and I spend a few minutes per day recognizing each other for influential topics, by awarding K+ and broadcasting it on Twitter or Facebook. The sillier the subject, the less likely there will be others on the list, and the better chance you have of becoming the #1topic authority.

Tag you’re it!

Currently I am the #1 influencer of Lobster. The really boring version of why is that I saw a post about a man who was shoplifting in a grocery store. In a hurry to get out unseen, he shoved a live lobster down his pants. Several impressions later, I became the lobster queen.

Once, my rank in lobster slipped to #2, and Pam graciously announced on Twitter that was a travesty that needed immediate remedy. Hence, people came out of the Twitersphere donning me with K+ so that I could maintain my status.

What could possibly be more influential than that? Getting people to respond/react to something completely meaningless is a great form of influence.

OK, I am not the first (or last) to write about Klout or their perception of your social influence. I am surprised there are not many (if any) posts about building your myth around Klout.

Like a big fish, I became the myth

Somehow I transformed from a professional customer experience manager into Mimi the Lobster Queen. My life is forever changed as I continue doing Spreecasts outfitted in a red sequined mermaid costume with long blonde hair and a seashell crown.

A few weeks ago, I participated in a Reno event, Cirque Du Mar as Mimi. The reason this event was pivotal is because this is where the myth became complete. Pam and I decided that if we were to be in character, we needed to understand where we came from.

Sebastian and Lana

After careful consideration, the myth of my heritage was born. Sebastian, who some think is a crab, is my father. Unfortunately, he has been maligned as a crab when in reality he was in a kitchen accident that left him without a tail. My mermaid mother is Lana Turner, the famous movie star.

The point here is that I do not take myself or my influence seriously. It is all a big game which is best played with friends. In general, I believe people need to chill out where Klout is concerned and have fun with it instead. You never know what your myth can become.

Mimi goes shopping at Smiths

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How to SpreeCast on your blog with Screaming Sirens Mimi Lobster Queen and Mother of all Mermaids

Screaming Mimi (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

http://www.spreecast.com/events/screaming-sirens-liberated/embed-large-900

We have all read the news that SEO is dead. A more personal affect is established through video and pictures a la newer platforms such as Pinterest and Spreecast. Being a visual learner I absolutely adore this type of media.

Still a newbie

Spreecast is still in Beta and is growing steadily in popularity. My good friend Pamela Morse and I try to spree at least once a week in an attempt to perfect the art. Basically, it is an interactive chat that is later archived for further viewing. People jump in and out of different productions and my favorite part is getting on camera.

My first endeavor was disastrous in that I couldn’t figure out how to do anything but sit there appearing lost. It made little sense how to get someone on camera with me (one of the main points of Spreecast). I still have over 200 views of this train-wreck, which blows my mind completely. Luckily, the creators produce a series of Spreecast 101′s that helped me out immensely. Each time I participate, I acquire a new skill.

Getting all technical by embedding episodes…

One question I had is how to spread the word about these quasi show/chat things I am doing. Duh! Embed them on my blog, tweet about them, post to Facebook, etc. Ok, Now that I have realized how to embed my Spreecasts, I realized it was time to share my (not so) secrets.

So here is my basic list

1. Pick a topic: mine is usually Screaming Sirens, although I have done impromptu chats with friends for different reasons as well, or no real reason at all.
2. It is better to script out the first minute rather than to stammer a lot. A veteran Spreecaster and friend told me this trick and it really works.
3. If no one shows up to interact with you, don’t take it personally. Remember it will be archived for later viewing pleasure. Wrap it up in about 5-10 minutes and move on.
4. As painful as it may be, revisit and watch what you recorded. You may see some easy opportunities for improvement.
5. Have fun with it! I am still learning how to do this effectively. I discovered that when doing the Screaming Sirens, I get a better reaction when doing it in costume. What is your shtick?
6. Once you discover it, be consistent. I will probably never record another Screaming Sirens episode without my lovely blonde locks and lobster crown.

What is keeping you from trying? All you need is a webcam and computer. If I can Spree, so can you! Why not join me sometime on Spreecast on a chat and let’s learn how to liberate ourselves from SEO!

 

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Take a Break with the Mermaids

Mermaid Pam

When and how do you find time to rest? Are you constantly in motion, reasoning, blogging, tweeting, face-booking, cleaning (well, let’s not get carried away), etc? If you are anything like me, you can’t find enough time in the day for everything. You would have more time if… Trust me, I do and say it too. The problem with this line of thinking is that the right time never seems to come. Whenever something  wraps up (IE. school), I will likely add three more activities taking its place.

enter the lady of the spa

Last year I was informally introduced to Pamela Morse, an ingenue who understood the value in letting go and getting silly. We spent the next several months bantering via Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook (yeah I know what you are thinking; who has time for that?), when she DM’d me (direct message) that she had an opportunity she wanted to involve me in.

Oy Veh! What in the world was I adding something else to the pot for? My curiosity took hold and we began talking about mermaids, camps, fitness, spa’s and the empowerment of women. At first it sounded silly and a little crazy, but the more we spoke, the more sense it all made.

The next thing I knew, I was on a plane to San Diego for some reconnaissance work and a little spa treatment thrown in for good measure. Next was a more local trip down to the Atlantis Casino Resort in Reno, where Pam came to visit for a week while doing more mermaid groundwork.

I could get used to this!

We Spa’d down and took several hours wandering between cold-dips, hot jacuzzi, quiet rooms and steam rooms. I had an amazing encounter with the premier mermaid photographer Cate Vail of Sirens Photography. I realized the purpose in all of this unfamiliar luxury. I needed to let go and let be.

There is a time to occupy your head and body with reality. As well there is a moment to wonder in the splendor of your beautiful spirit. Next month I will be going on yet another adventure with Pam and the mermaids in the desert.

Whether you float in the water or burn in the desert, fantasy awaits! After all, life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself. Put reality on hold for a weekend, day or even a moment to rejuvenate your spirit.

getting ready for some mermaid fun!

.

 

 

float with the mermaids…

Image via Wikipedia

Is there a difference between friends in the virtual world and the real world? A year ago, I would have thought absolutely. After all, my virtual friends consisted of people who would fertilize my crops on Farmville (my one year Farmville free anniversary is coming up). Now the difference between real and fantasy is becoming blurred as I am drawn to the desert in a mer-skirt.

My life will never be the same.

I just spent the past few days with a great friend I met through LinkedIn about a year ago. We connected through a sales group, later becoming friends on Facebook and Twitter. She is also a blogging tribal sister and part of my team #kloutjuice silliness. I don’t consider her less of a friend because we only met face to face three days ago.

My new friend Pam founded the Floatli Mermaid Institute Camp based in Tucson Arizona but soon to be making its arrival at Desert Hot Springs, California. The name of the event is Mermaids in the Desert and it takes place April Fools weekend 2012.

Yes I said the word mermaid with a straight face.

I don’t like to swim, never mind float, but the idea of releasing my inner mermaid, in my case Lobster Queen, is irresistible. So, I donned my new siren-red sequined mer skirt provided by mermaid Shelly of Shell Tail Labs and did a PR photo shoot with Pamela and her sidekick mermaid Molly at La Costa.

Pam put her heart and soul into this event and I am proud to be affiliated with it. For anyone interested in attending (whether you are in the real or virtual world) please find the event on Facebook or through the link in this post.

Lesson learned: there is nothing in this world that is too silly to do.

Traditionally, this blog is not about shameless promotion, but this is too worthy of a cause to pass up. We all need to let go of reality even if it is only for a weekend in the desert. Stop taking yourself so seriously and jump in, the water will be warm and the mer-skirts will be flashy. All that is missing is YOU!

Mermaid Miriam awaits

 

 

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The Target/Missoni Dilemma; 3 Ideas to Rebuild Loyalty

disappointed about Target's lack of Missoni product

Is there such a thing as bad publicity? Recently (9/13/11) Target premiered a new line designed by Missoni, a fashion knitwear mega-player. Target did a tremendous job promoting the new line as long ques formed outside stores (the website apparently crashed from all the traffic too) in anticipation of the colorful zigzag items.

Blunder or genius?

From the news/blog posts read, you would think that Target really blew this one. They ran out of product almost immediately, and many customers were left angry and empty-handed. Maybe it is the retailer in me, but isn’t it the point to sell out of a limited edition line? I mean what retailer really wants to be sitting on product they can’t move?

Watch Your (SM)Manners: VLOG#4

How well do you watch your manners?

There are a variety of signals that you need to learn/improve social media manners. This post was inspired by the #smmanners twitter chat held each Tuesday at 7pm PST. Following, is a short list of traits leading to poor manners.

1. Are you a spambot?  If you have no tweets listed, follow lots of tweeps, and have no followers of your own, you probably are a bot. But then again, bots don’t really care that they are inhuman.
2. Are you guilty of auto-DM’ing your twitter followers? No one is really sure why people do this, as it is so impersonal and rude. an auto-DM is essentially junk-mail or a form letter which usually leads to being un-followed on twitter (by me and many others!)
3. Do you rarely if ever retweet others posts? You should make it a regular habit to engage with others by retweeting. It is considered good manners to retweet (RT)  tweets when you like what they are saying. It sends a signal to the original author that you enjoy what they post.
4. Are you only interested in seeing your Klout score rise and rarely if ever engage with others? Don’t get me wrong, I like to see my Klout score rise too, but not at the expense of being inauthentic (there is that pesky theme again).

If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you could use some polish to your manners. At work, are you genuinely greeting customers? Do you truly listen to their desires and fulfill their needs?

Unfortunately, there is no magic words that can make  a rude ill-mannered person care and try to change his ways. The reality is, we can all learn to be more sensitive of others feelings both in real life and in the virtual world of social media.

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Play up your passion

Passion for Fashion (and feathers)

There seems to be a general theme floating around in the blogosphere  these days regarding putting passion into your blog. Two of the best posts I read were by Mack Collier and Margie Clayman. My interpretation of the take-home message from these and other similar posts is “Duh!” Of course you need to be passionate about what you are writing/doing, or else you will come off as being insincere.

Fake it till you make it

I don’t know about you, but I can’t fake passion. If I am at work learning a new policy or marketing promotion and feel less than enthusiastic about it, the associates sense it. It is vital that I have bought into whatever I am selling. When a new line is inspiring, it is easy to convey passion towards the product, the associates and the customers.

At school, if there is a subject I feel disconnect towards (cough, cough, finance) I can study all day long, but still fail miserably on an exam. Whereas classes perceived as fun such as the personal branding class I just completed, doing assignments becomes less of a grind and the classes are a dream to take. It is so much more fun learning something that I am interested in.